My 16 yr old daughter has been having stomach pain for awhile, and complaints of nausea and headaches. Worse when she's on her period. About a month ago, the pain got worse, I took her to the doctor Friday when she told me how bad it hurt her. She's had lack of appetite which seems to be getting better. Nausea is really bad right now. Indigestion and puke coming up (regirgitation). Always feeling like she's going to vomit. Her pain is near both of her ovaries, and right side, today she said it felt like something was squeezing her insides above her belly button. When the doctor examined her, she was very tender in her appendix area and low right flank area. No fever, no vomitting except the regirgitation. Could it be her appendix? We won't be able to get a CT scan for weeks.

I agree, might be endrometriosis or something like that. No she doesn't have a gyn, I don't think she would agree to a pelvic exam if she did have one. Her doctor did not offer to do blood work, but she knows how my daughter is with that. The CT has to be prior authorized, only thing that doesn't have to be is an x-ray. She's been feeling better the last 2 days, her doctor said if it got really bad, take her to the ER right away, I'm keeping my eye on her, not to worry.

An appendicitis probably won't have gone on as long as the history you're describing - an acute appendicitis is operated on straight away because they typically rupture within a week or two of presentation.

The classic presentation is pain in the umbilical region (belly button) - which then 'travels' over a few days to the right hand side. the reason for this is anatomical and is based on the sharing of nerve pathways!

As a home test, if the area where the appendix lies (lower right of the abdomen) is 'tough' ie, firm to the touch in comparison to the left side - in combination with pain on palpation or pressing in the general area (tenderness). If this is the case, then perhaps it's best to go ER or A&E (depending on the country you're in) for bloods, it might take an evening of yours, but it'l put your mind at rest.

The alternative diagnosis is an Ectopic pregnancy - and I appreciate parents have strong views on whether their kids or sexually active or not, but this would also be checked at hospital.

If your daughter is 16 and having problems around her period, now is the time to have her start seeing a GYN. Some female issues can continue to remain bad if they aren't addressed. If she is having problems, getting them checked out is a fact of life. It might not be a pleasant experience, but having regular physicals is the best preventative tool you have. At 16 she is old enough she should be checked out, especially if she is having problems. By educating her on what will happen and being there to support her, you could lessen some of the unpleasantness of the experience. Ask her pediatrician about a referral to a GYN who works well with young women. Also, when you make the appointment, talk to the doctor's office about your daughters reluctance. Hopefully they will be supportive.

Your daughter is still young enough that you are the one to make the decisions about her healthcare. Despite her reluctance, having her checked with a physical exam if she is having female issues is your responsibility as a parent. Hopefully, she will eventually come to understand that.

I know this sounds a bit direct, but I work in a community service field and see too often negative things happen when they could be prevented if someone took a stance for a loved one who resisted. Sometimes the love is a tough love. They might not appreciate it at the time, but hopefully they will eventually realize you have their best interest at heart.

Thank you and I know your right, but I don't know how to get her medical care she needs if she resists and then the doctors refuse to do anything because she's resisting. I asked the ER to make her do blood work, I've asked two different doctors, they said they cannot do it unless she agrees, doesn't matter that I'm the parent and she's underage. Another problem we have is a concern that she might be developing an autoimmune disease that I have. Everything I don't fit the critera for, she seems to make up for. Letting something like this go can cause more harm than good. Talking to her is like talking to the wall. She starts yelling and tells me she doesn't have my "fake disease" and to leave her alone. She has serious issues over the way I've been sick. Now she has her friends joining in on it so they can talk about me like I'm a hypocondriac or something. I'm afraid alot of her resistance is because of me, because the last thing she wants to do is turn out to be anything like me. She's made that clear. And I don't want her to, I don't want my child sick. But when she has problems, they need addressed, but she'd rather have her dad's additude "screw doctors", and I can deal with this on my own. Well sometimes I guess that is fine, but when things might be serious, like appendicitis, that is not okay. I honestly don't know what to do. I'm hoping she grows out of this nonsense. I think your right, appendicitis wouldn't have lasted this long. She is tender in the area, that's the concern. Her pain though seems to be widespread, usually in her ovary areas, above her belly button, over to her right back side (flank area). She's doing alot better as far as the pain goes, but she's having nausea way too much. I called her doctor Monday asking for medication for that, and for pain medication for her knee, since she might of had an allergic reaction to ibuprofen, still haven't heard anything back, I called the pharmacy, they haven't called anything in. I think it's possible the nausea is reflux issues cause she's having regurgitation too. As far as the female issues goes, if there is something wrong there, the CT scan should show it. At least she is compliant to getting scans. I am going to try to talk her into taking some acid reflux medication short term to see if that improves the nausea because there is no way she'd let them test her for this, endoscopy or barium study, I could imagine. And I do talk to her and try to explain things, it's not easy with her additude toward me being sick, but I do it anyways. I don't think it helps having her father ditch doctors the way he does. He pretty much points out the fact that if they had any clue to what they was doing, they would have helped me feel better along time ago. And sadly he's right, I can't argue with him on that, because it's true.